Surgical instrument seal assembly

Abstract

A surgical instrument valve assembly is provided with a valve seal where the upper portion of the valve seal is rigidly mounted to the body of the valve assembly. The lower portion of the valve seal is configured to allow some radial movement while the upper portion of the valve seal remains rigidly mounted within the valve assembly. The valve seal may be provided with stay that prevents the valve seal from inverting when an instrument in withdrawn from the valve assembly.

1. A surgical instrument seal assembly for mounting to a cannula for insertion of a surgical instrument, the seal assembly comprising:
 an upper body portion having a proximal end wall with an upper exterior surface arranged at a proximal end that defines a throughbore extending completely through the seal assembly and a interior surface; 
 a cylindrical wall protector integrally formed with the upper exterior surface at the throughbore to project inwardly into an interior portion of said upper body portion at the throughbore; 
 a lower body portion projecting below the upper body portion wherein said lower body portion defines a cannula receiving opening adapted to mount the seal assembly on the cannula; and 
 a unitary valve seal including:
 an upper seal portion having a upper seal wall and a mounting portion rigidly mounted at the interior surface of the proximal end wall in said upper body portion adjacent an interior portion of said upper body portion, the interior portion opposing the upper surface, said upper seal portion being mounted about the throughbore, said cylindrical wall protector located between the throughbore and the upper seal wall overlapping in a longitudinal direction, and separated from in noncontacting arrangement with said upper seal wall with no intervening structure and extending from said seal assembly proximal end and substantially into said upper seal portion; and 
 a lower seal portion extending from said upper seal portion, said lower seal portion being adapted to seal around the surgical instrument. 
 
 
   
   
     2. The surgical instrument seal assembly of  claim 1 , wherein said upper body portion further comprises an inner support member extending inwardly into the interior portion of said upper body. 
   
   
     3. The surgical instrument seal assembly of  claim 2 , wherein the inner support member engages with a shoulder formed on said lower body portion. 
   
   
     4. The surgical instrument seal assembly of  claim 1 , wherein said lower body portion comprises a transition wall which mates said upper body portion to said lower body portion, said transition wall is sloped. 
   
   
     5. The surgical instrument seal assembly of  claim 4 , further comprising a shoulder extending from said transition wall into an interior portion of said lower body portion, said shoulder of said transition wall mating with a inner support member. 
   
   
     6. The surgical instrument seal assembly of  claim 5 , further comprising a seal positioned between the inner support member and the shoulder of the transition wall. 
   
   
     7. The surgical instrument seal assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the valve seal is formed as a frusto-conical member having a first tapered wall that has a taper different from a second tapered wall. 
   
   
     8. A surgical instrument seal assembly for mounting to a cannula for insertion of a surgical instrument, the seal assembly comprising:
 an upper body portion having a proximal end wall with an upper exterior surface arranged at a proximal end that defines a throughbore extending completely through the seal assembly and a interior surface; 
 a cylindrical wall protector integrally formed with the upper exterior surface at the throughbore having a substantially tubular construction that projects inwardly into an interior portion of said upper body portion at the throughbore; 
 a lower body portion projecting below the upper body portion wherein said lower body portion defines a cannula connection that connects the seal assembly to the cannula; and 
 a unitary valve seal including:
 an upper seal portion having a upper seal wall and a mounting portion rigidly mounted at the interior surface of the proximal end wall in said upper body portion adjacent an interior portion of said upper body portion, the interior portion opposing the upper surface, said upper seal portion being mounted about the throughbore, said cylindrical wall protector located between the throughbore and the upper seal wall overlapping in a longitudinal direction, and separated from in noncontacting arrangement with said upper seal wall with no intervening structure and extending from said seal assembly proximal end and substantially into said upper seal portion; and 
 a lower seal portion extending from said upper seal portion, said lower seal portion being adapted to seal around the surgical instrument. 
 
 
   
   
     9. The surgical instrument seal assembly of  claim 8 , wherein said upper body portion further comprises an inner support member extending inwardly into the interior portion of said upper body. 
   
   
     10. The surgical instrument seal assembly of  claim 9 , wherein the inner support member engages with said lower body portion. 
   
   
     11. The surgical instrument seal assembly of  claim 8 , wherein said lower body portion comprises a transition wall which mates said upper body portion to said lower body portion, said transition wall is sloped. 
   
   
     12. The surgical instrument seal assembly of  claim 11 , further comprising a shoulder extending from said transition wall into an interior portion of said lower body portion, said shoulder of said transition wall mating with an inner support member. 
   
   
     13. The surgical instrument seal assembly of  claim 12 , further comprising a seal positioned between the shoulder of the inner support member and the shoulder of said transition wall. 
   
   
     14. The surgical instrument seal assembly of  claim 8 , wherein the valve seal is formed as a frusto-conical member having a first tapered wall that has a taper different from a second tapered wall.